Actress Tannaz Irani best known for her roles in Yeh Meri Life Hai and Mein Prem Ki Diwani Hoon, recently opened up about her life, including her childhood, first marriage, divorce, and how it affected both her and her daughter emotionally.
In an interview with Hauterrfly, Tannaz Irani said that she was raised in the 1980s among strong women, which made her self-confident and comfortable being herself. Tannaz Irani also talked about how her emotional immaturity at a young age impacted her first marriage.
Tannaz Irani recalls her first marriage before tying the knot with Bakhtyar Irani
Talking about her first marriage, Tannaz Irani said, "I got married to a Muslim man who was 18 years older than me. My family understood that Tannaz wahi karegi jo uska mann bolega, jitna bhi aap mana karenge wo nahi sunegi, and he was a very sorted man, great actor. then we get married and had my first child."
She also shared the reason why the marriage eventually came to an end, saying, "When you're 20, you're growing so much as a woman. He was a great man and allowed me to find my own space, but I think I was looking for something else. I wanted to go out, party and do things, while he was much more mature."
Tannaz further said she only realised much later how deeply the separation had affected their daughter. "I realised much later that maybe it wasn't easy for my daughter at all. She was small and understood what was happening.
Talking about the guilt she felt as a mother, Tannaz said, "Once you break that safety factor for a child, especially as a mother, you've broken it. Your daughter's biggest safety factor is her mother - and I broke that. I think maybe I could have handled it better. If I had realised how badly this would affect people, I would never have done it that way."
Tannaz Irani also spoke about how she slowly rebuilt her bond with her daughter over the years. "She went into a shell and shut herself down. This was her coping mechanism. A lot of mothers ask how long they should allow that silence. My answer is - let them have it. You broke their safe home; now you have to allow that and give them space. I started apologising, I didn't know any better."
For the unversed, Tannaz Irani was first married to theatre artist Farid Currim, who was 18 years older than her, and they had a daughter together. She later married Bakhtyar Irani in 2007 and have two children, a son named Zeus Irani and a daughter named Zara Irani.